Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Rachel Maddow sets up for us the following remarkable bit of video footage. It was shot earlier this year at town hall meeting for Delaware Republican Congressman Mike Castle.

People who subscribe to these wingnut conspiracy theories will never accept any proof that contradicts their beliefs. For them it doesn't matter that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, it doesn't matter to these nuts how much concrete evidence you show them. They WANT DESPERATELY to believe that Barack Obama is not a natural born American and therefore cannot be President.

Why?

You'll find the answer to that question in what the woman at the town hall says after proclaiming the President is not an American Citizen. She announces that her father fought in World War II, (so did President Obama's Grandfather and Uncle), then she literally screams into the microphone; "I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!" To which the majority of the crowd cheers in approval.

This woman and those who cheered her comments, apparently feel that with the election of Barack Obama they have "lost their country". Why? Simple...

Barack Obama is black.

The "Birther" movement isn't really about citizenship, it is about race. Having a black President of the United States has completely unhinged some of these people and they are now the loudest voice in the Republican Party. That's right folks. It isn't the fiscal conservatives, it's not the American exceptionalists, it isn't even the religious evangelicals. Nope, the dominant voices in the Republican Party now are the racist conspiracy nuts.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

In yesterday's Washington Post's Erza Klein wrote of how in T.R. Reid's book "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care", Reid addresses how other industrialized nations, specifically Sweden and Taiwan overcame the political resistance to a public option for health care:

"Both countries decided that society has an ethical obligation -- as a matter of justice, of fairness, of solidarity -- to assure everybody has access to medical care when it's needed. The advocates of reform in both countries clarified and emphasized that moral issue much more than the nuts and bolts of the proposed reform plans. As a result, the national debate was waged around ideals like "equal treatment for everybody," "we're all in this together," and "fundamental rights" rather than on the commercial implications for the health care industry."

I have well meaning friends who truly believe that a public health care option would be the death knell of American capitalism. The popular talking point being; "Do you want the Government standing between You and your Doctor?!". Which while sound byte ready, and easily repeatable is total nonsense. Right now health care profit margins more often than not, stand between patients and their doctors. But that isn't the real issue. Both Reid and Klein talk about what actually IS the real issue. How do we as a nation view Health Care?

Is Health Care a for profit business that should be left to market forces, or is it an ethical obligation of a civilized society?

If you favor a market driven for-profit system, that is a completely legitimate point of view. But then be honest enough to answer the same kind of hard questions you demand of people on the other side of the debate.

Opponents of Health Care reform never address the issue of the over 40,000,000 Americans with no health insurance. Nor do they ever address how the costs of caring for those uninsured are in fact currently passed on to everyone else. I work for the largest HMO in the United States. When uninsured patients show up in our emergency rooms for even basic primary care, what happens to those costs? They don't just magically disappear, they are passed on in increased premiums and co pays. Opponents of reform never like to admit that Americans are already paying for universal health care, we just aren't getting it.

Think back to your High School Economics class. What is the basic force in any capitalist economy? Supply and Demand right? So why can't opponents of public health care be honest and admit that in their view Health Care will never be affordable for everyone. It's basic economics. When demand for any good or service is greater than the supply, what happens to the price? It goes up. Likewise when supply exceeds demand, the price of that same good or service will fall. Capitalism 101 right?

So if you favor a market driven health care system you are saying you accept a situation where prices will never fall but instead, keep going up forever. Demand for health care will ALWAYS far outpace the supply. Opponents of the public option should be honest and call their approach what it really is. Economic Darwinism. Survival of the richest. Newt Gingrich and his ilk, scream of health care rationing under a public plan when in fact, that is exactly what we have now. Rationing of care based on income. If you believe that is a good thing, fine. But be honest and call it what it is.

As a nation we had far less public debate on whether or not to wage war to avenge the deaths of 3000 people on September 11th, than we are now having about a health care crisis where 84,000 people die every year as a direct result of health disparities in the United States.

If you oppose a public element to American Health Care you are saying that a certain number of Americans dying because they can't afford medical care is acceptable to you . Ok then, those of you who oppose a public option, be honest and answer one question for me;

How many American lives are you willing to sacrifice to be ideologically comfortable?

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Devoid of policy ideas, lacking any direction or leadership, the Republican Party has become the place for crazies and nutjobs. Wackos like the "Birthers" people who no matter how many times you show them the PROOF that they are wrong, remain convinced there has been as massive conspiracy starting with the doctors in the Honolulu hospital to the entire State Government of Hawaii to "Cover up" Barack Obama's "true" citizenship.

Seriously these people are total looney tunes and the GOP has decided to feed their delusions as a way to try remain relevant. Today on MSNBC Chris Matthews showed what total sleazeballs the Congressional Republicans are.

Sunday, July 05, 2009

An interesting place to celebrate the 4th of July, but nevertheless here I am . The main government buildings in Whitehall are flying American Flags next to the Union Jack which is pretty cool to see. So Happy 4th of July to everyone back in the US!